Through Her Eyes
by ScriptedLullabies
Summary: Emily has never met anyone like her. Yet, she knows that the peculiar girl is everything she could ever wish to have in life. Paily AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Yada yada yada, you know already. Some part of this might actually be inspired by my personal trait and experience. Hmm...**

**Author's Note: I don't even know what this is. I didn't proof read this. Such a daredevil I am!**

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><p>She couldn't take her eyes off of that peculiar girl. There was something about her that day…Who was she trying to kid? There was something about the girl that she notice <em>every day<em>. Because she had been watching and observing said girl ever since she first stepped foot in the quaint coffee shop Emily worked at. It was all in the little things or maybe they weren't so little after all because they stood out so clearly and unabashedly, Emily thought everyone should have noticed them too but at the same time, she wished everyone was oblivious to them. Emily would like to think that she was the only one that had noticed those quirks the girl had never failed to do. And Emily wondered if she would ever get the chance to know the stories behind them.

Supposedly she could at least try talking to the girl, but every time she stood face to face with the auburn haired beauty, she turned into a mumbling idiot. In addition to her eccentric way of doing things, the girl was also astonishingly gorgeous. And Emily was incredibly shallow (that didn't escape her attention), she loved seeing beautiful hot girls, who wouldn't? The brown eyed girl was so easy on the eyes, _too _easy as a matter of fact, that just looking at her would make Emily blush. She was grateful for the dark complexion of her skin that kept saving her from further embarrassment and hoped that she could stop being a complete creeper. She really needed to make a good impression on the girl.

But again, it was just a bonus point because all Emily could see (and remember) now was the way the girl would show up at exactly 7.45am after she had walked pass the café 2 times, having walked around the building starting from the corner of 17th Ave and then she would stand right outside the door for 22 seconds before stepping inside. Emily knew because she had more than once counted the seconds while through the window, she watched the girl with great interest and profound curiosity and the memory of the girl's luscious lips moving so subtly along the second she was counting by was just a little something Emily had subconsciously held dear to her mind. And still, Emily refused to believe that she was a stalker-ish creeper just because she was observant. Right…

And then the girl would get in line with a queue that had already formed since the crack of dawn with a book covering her face. It was always a different one every time. Emily wondered if the girl was actually an avid reader or that the book was just a cover, a decoy, stopping anyone to break through her personal space. Or maybe both. Emily could easily imagine the girl as being somewhat geeky and the thought only fired her infatuation more, the girl (at least the one she had been building up in her mind) was nothing less than endearing and cute and dorky and…Emily realized her obsession had moved way past than just a silly crush. And she didn't even know her name. It was ridiculous!

Surely people would hastily assume that being a barista Emily could at least get the girl's name as she took her order. But no, it would be way too simple and the girl was by far the most complicated human being Emily had ever encountered. Because instead of giving out her name to be written down on her cup of coffee, the girl would utter just one letter instead and at first Emily thought that the letters were not in any particular order but then she paid even closer attention to it and after precisely 4 weeks of 'investigation', Emily had come into the conclusion that the letters spelled out a legible, actual name. In the span of 28 days, the letters of 14 had spelled into _Paige McCullers_. But still, she couldn't be so sure. Third time the charm, they say. Now was her chance to test that theory of hers.

As the girl finally got on the front of the line, Emily brushed off her green apron clad outfit and gave out her most charming smile. "What can I do for you today?"

The girl put her book aside and looked at her intently with a tight smile adorning her lips. "Ah yes, I'd like…" She came to a halt as she averted her gaze to the menu boards hung on the walls behind the counter.

Emily waited patiently, knowing all too well that the girl wasn't really trying to make up her mind. She just had to count to 22 before she made her order. Emily knew that the girl had always ordered the same thing and that was…

"A cup of hot vanilla latte with 2% milk in grande size please and…"

"One blueberry muffin to go?" Emily concluded lightly, remembering that on Tuesdays the girl never stayed at the café.

The girl looked taken aback for a brief second but soon got her bearing back. "Yes, please…"

"Excellent…" Emily quipped rather cheerily, cringing inside because she realized that she was overdoing it. She didn't want the girl to think that she was overly chipper for no legitimate reason. But of course, if the girl would have preferred, Emily would be the most cheerful person in the whole wide universe. "Who should I make it out to?" She asked with a new air of confidence, lifting up the paper white cup in one hand along with a black sharpie in another. _Please say P, please say P…_

"P…" The girl stated carefully. "But not like P as in going to _pee_, it's just…" She mumbled on, her right hand flailing aimlessly, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. And Emily smiled, thinking that it was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen in her life.

"It's just the letter P, right?" The tanned beauty offered, hoping that the girl would appreciate her quick understanding of the situation. She overheard once or twice how her coworkers talk about the 'pee' girl and she hated that. She hated that people would make fun of someone they didn't know. She hated the fact that the girl would feel obliged to explain herself just because she had a tendency to do things differently. And Emily had promised herself that she would do anything she could just to make her feel comfortable and understood.

"That's right…" The girl affirmed, subtly exhaling a breath of relieved. Emily didn't miss how she looked a tad more relaxed and that the corner of her lips had turned slightly upward, forming yet another smile, even though it didn't last for more than a couple of seconds.

"Okay then…" Emily chirped gleefully, scribbling down on the white cup. "Anything else?" It was just a formality to ask even though she already knew the answer.

"No, that would be all, thank you…" The girl mused hastily, reaching for her wallet and a metal box out of her messenger bag. The metal box was one other thing Emily had noticed, it was a candy box, mints to be exact (based on the cover that read 'Mark & Spencer's Mints') but when the girl opened it, it was filled with small changes. Emily thought it was cute. Yet again….But everything about the girl was cute to Emily.

"Then it's gonna be…" Emily typed in the order to the machine, waiting for the receipt to come out. "It's $6…"

"$6.25… Here you go." The girl swiftly interjected, sliding out money over the counter and like Emily had expected, it was an exact $6.25. Just like always.

Emily felt like she knew this girl, like she wasn't just another stranger; not just another face in the sea of people rushing in and out the shop every day. This girl was different, special and Emily hoped she could get a chance to know her more. Emily didn't realize that she had let her mind wander and her eyes fixed solicitously at the girl until the girl dipped her head down, showing the first sign of her nervousness under the scrutiny of Emily's intense gaze. Emily broke out a shy smile even though it felt like she hadn't stopped smiling widely ever since the girl emerged right in front of her because she felt silly and giddy for being so obvious, for blatantly crushing on this charismatic girl.

"Your order will be ready in a bit. We hope to see you again…" Emily concluded, handing out the receipt. The girl took the piece of paper and quickly shoved it in between the pages of her book. And she gave Emily a tight smile before she strolled away to wait for her order by the pick up counter. As the girl covered her face with her book once more, Emily decided that she was gonna go through with her plan.

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><p>She was waiting for her order, internally counting the seconds. She couldn't help it, the way she couldn't deny her lungs from breathing. Rationally, she knew nothing bad would happen if she were to stop. But maybe she didn't want to stop. She had found that doing things in such peculiar ways was almost like a comfort to her. They made her feel at ease, like nothing was out of place; nothing was out of her control. She couldn't find the logic in that, but she had stopped caring about logic behind every action she ever done. Sure, she was well aware of the way some people would snicker and talk behind her back about how weird she was. But she had grown used to it, she didn't expect much from people anymore. She wished to be understood, but she wouldn't hope for it. Hope was nothing she could afford.<p>

There was one person though that had surprised her, the barista girl, Emily. Firstly, she had always loved the name Emily. Because of one of her favorite characters growing up was Emily Elizabeth from Clifford The Big Red Dog. A character she had aspired to be like when she was just a little kid. Smart, kind, curious and she had a lot of exciting adventures. Something that Paige could only imagine happening in her head. She had also hoped to have a dog when she was younger. That obviously didn't come true. But it was okay, considering everything, she had a nice childhood and she had always had her books to get her by. Her mom taught her that reading was the window of the world; that she could go anywhere, do anything, as far as her imagination would allow.

Okay, her mind had strayed once again. So…Emily. Yeah, Emily the barista girl. Paige took a peek at the girl through the upper brim of her book. This Emily reminded her so much of the protagonist characters she read in books. This Emily seemed kind, friendly and cheerful. She never even once gave Paige a strange look. Sure, she got curious sometimes, at first, but who wouldn't with how odd Paige was acting? But Paige had never seen judgment in her eyes or heard a mocking snigger out of her lips. This Emily acted like she understood her, like everything that she did was normal. It had been her normality for years, but people rarely saw it that way. But the tanned girl had given her no reason to doubt that maybe some people still had an open mind. Paige wouldn't say it out loud, but she was hopeful. Just a little bit, there was nothing wrong with that, right?

Sometimes, on days when she could stay and sit on the table by the side window, right next to the wall with a hummingbird mural surrounded by famous quotes, she boggled her mind with the thoughts of actually talking to Emily because Emily had been nothing but sweet to her. When she had the chance, Emily would pass by her table just to comment on the book Paige was reading. '_Oh, I've read that. It's so sad.' _or '_Oh my God, have you got to the part where that character die when really there's no legitimate reason for them to die? It sucks!_' or just a simple, '_how's the book going?_' As if she actually cared, Paige thought it'd be nice to have someone care about even the smallest thing that she was interested in.

But of course she never managed to give any sort of response. She got frozen in place, awed by the fact that this girl took the time to pay any attention to her. Words eluded her and the next thing she knew, Emily had moved on to clean up the next table. She should stop anyway, she knew she stand no chance. Not when she could barely utter a word without having heart palpitation. She despised the fact that interacting with stranger was such a hassle for her. She wished she was different, bolder and courageous. Maybe someday…

Paige snapped her head up, acknowledging someone clearing their throat. And she regretted looking up so quickly, unprepared for the warm smile and mesmerizing eyes that greeted her. "Your mind must be a very fascinating place…" Emily remarked reflectively, tilting her head in such adorable manner, Paige thought.

"I…It's…" Paige slapped herself internally. Why can't speaking come easy to her? Instead of responding properly, she grabbed her cup of coffee and the brown bag containing her muffin and bowed her head down. She could feel her cheeks warming up and her fingers trembling. "Uh, thanks…" She mumbled apprehensively. She looked up to give Emily a smile and then hastily turned her body around. She didn't look back; there was no way she would risk doing any more damage than what had been done. But as she reached the entrance, she heard Emily yelling, "Have a nice day!" And god, Paige wanted nothing more than just go back inside and told Emily that she was such a beautiful soul.

She halted all motion, standing still right outside the coffee shop with a bag of muffin and a cup of hot coffee in her right hand. She needed to just regulate her breath and calm her nerves first before she embarked on a journey to her campus ground. That was when she noticed something, writing on the cup's collar. She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion. She never found any on the collar before, only on the cup, those letters/'codes' indicating the content of the cup. She slowly rotated her cup, intrigued and anxious. She read word by word carefully, attentively. Her breath hitched. She couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't believe that someone really did pay attention to her and cared enough to let her know that they truly _see_ her. Written on the collar was a sentence that Paige would never forget.

_I wish I could see the world through your eyes, Paige McCullers. _

_-Emily_

She snapped her head up, she felt out of breath. The world around her seemed more vibrant somehow. Someone figured her out; someone actually took interest in her quirks and learned her name. And she felt this pull, an indescribable force urging her to turn her head around. She felt as if someone was calling her and when she finally did look back, she was once again greeted by those spellbinding dark eyes that had never conveyed prejudice and a sincere smile that made her heart skip a beat. Maybe hope wasn't lost after all…

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><p><strong>P.S.: Thoughts? I'd love to read your feedback on this weird and (hopefully) somewhat cute little story of mine. I was just minding my own business, trying to finish an update for Reminiscence when my brain and fingers decided to take on a different route. This story is intended as a one-shot, but who knows… Who knows… <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **So obviously by now we all know that I suck at keeping a so-called one shot a _one shot_. Well, I only have one other story to prove this point but I guess the pattern is forming quite nicely, don't you agree?

Anyway! Wow! I thought this story was weird and I was surprised to find that you found it weird too but you actually liked it just as much. You guys are incredible! Thank you, thank you…

**Del: **You never fail me! You always pay attention to the details and you caught on to the 'issues' that Paige may have in her life. I'm so glad you noticed that. Thank you for your undying support, hope to hear from you again!

**Ness, Tiffany, An, Sarah and other guest reviewers: **Thank you for taking a chance on this story. I'm glad you enjoyed it and here I present to you the next part of this lovely and cute (your words, not mine…) story of our beloved Paily. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one too.

And to that one guest who said something about how I only update on February 29th, you're so dramatic my dear. But I can't deny how true your statement is,haha. Hey, next year is a leap year, right? Hmm… Don't give me ideas!

**Shout out to saii79, Plamin24 and yulebrinner25 just because… They're part of the reason why I feel so lucky for being in this fandom.**

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><p>"Honey, I'm home…" Emily yelled out exaggeratedly, grinning from ear to ear. Her heart was on its highest state of exuberance, thanks to the success of her plan. Well, she wasn't actually sure whether not it could be concluded as a success but at the very least, she pulled through. She had conquered her fear and let herself be known. It was a triumphant day!<p>

"In here, Em!" Came the voice of her roommate and best friend. Emily didn't even have to think twice, she knew for sure that it was coming from the kitchen. Whenever she got home after afternoon classes, she would find her best friend cooking up dinner for them both. She wondered if this habit between them could actually condition her for the day when she finally got to live with someone she loved. Of course she loved her best friend, but it would be nice to have someone to love not so platonically. She was absolutely desperate on finding that special someone.

"It smells good! What's cooking, Luce?" Emily quipped as she got on the kitchen stool. She dropped her shoulder bag on the floor and put aside her textbooks on the counter. She rested her arms across the counter top, leaning forward as to take a better look on what Lucy was making.

"You know, the usual Salmon steak with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables…" Lucy shrugged nonchalantly, peering at Emily over her shoulder while maintaining her focus on searing the salmon to perfection.

Emily scoffed mockingly. ""Right, it's definitely not an upgrade from the mac and cheese we eat on a daily basis. Nothing fancy at all…"

The 20 years old redhead chuckled merrily, standing sideways to acknowledge Emily better, right hand still hovering over the pan. "I had the best day and it calls for a celebration…"

"Oh, do tell Lucy Lou…" Emily countered expectantly, uttering the nickname she had given her best friend years ago. She just liked how it sounded. It gave a certain _twang;_ that was the justification she had given Luce when the girl challenged her on the name. She eventually relented, accepting the ridiculous nickname as a precious term of endearment from her dear friend of 5 years.

"So do you remember the audition that I was working hard to prepare for?" The tall and lean girl asked, flipping her body around right after she turned off the stove.

"The one where you have to speak in an Australian accent or the one where you have to come across as a yoga freak when in fact you don't even like to waste your energy on walking or the one with the snake that you're super scared of?" Emily trailed off, arching her eyebrows.

"No, no. It was the one where I have to eat a whole cake in one take and cry my eyes out because the leading man just dumped me…" Luce disclosed casually, setting out plates onto the counter.

"Ah right, that was indeed the hardest one yet. So did all those cakes you used for practice die in vain or they actually served their purpose in life?" The tanned girl retorted, resting her head on her palm of her left hand, her elbow was propped on the counter. She eyed her friend with utmost curiosity.

"They have served me well, my friend. And even more, instead of getting the part as ex-girlfriend number 2, they actually cast me as the leading lady's best friend! Who's technically the guy's 4th ex-girlfriend but still, I'd have more screen time!" The redhead screamed up, slightly jumping up and down in joy. She had always been a tad dramatic, courtesy of the 4 years spent on stage as a theater geek and a glee club member.

"_Bravissima, _my dear! You deserve it!" Emily clapped happily and subsequently bowed down in faux courteousness. All those years knowing Luce, she felt like a drama queen herself.

"Why, thank you…" Luce offered a curtsy bow with her imaginary skirt. "Now all I need is to learn to speak in a Russian accent…"

"And there it is... There's always a catch. I should know it was too good to be true. I'm gonna suffer through incoherent talks that sound as if you're Jamaican, aren't I?" Emily quipped, her shoulder slouched dejectedly.

"Let's not worry about that now. Nothing that the great Lucille Stromberg can't handle!" The dramatic girl pumped her fist in the air passionately before finally perched down on the stool across Emily. "Onto the celebration!" She lifted the wine glass that she had prepared alongside the dish. "Cheers!"

Emily followed suit, lifting her own glass and proceed to clink it against Luce's. She tilted the glass slowly, sipping the content carefully. She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion as the liquid grazed her taste bud. "This is…"

"$5 grape juice. Let's not get too crazy here, it's not like they paid me up front…" Luce rolled her eyes playfully, taking another sip of her juice.

"You could've used the normal glass, but no, you just had to fool me with the fancy wine glass…" Emily whined histrionically, pouting her lips. And just second afterward, the pair burst in laughter.

"Ah, I'm such a bad influence on you, Em…" Luce uttered as she wiped away the corner of her eye with the heel of her hand. "Correct me if I'm wrong, you seem more chirpy today. Anything exciting happened? Did you finally make your move on that no name girl you always gush about?"

Emily couldn't help the grin painting her face so effortlessly at the mention of the charismatic girl she had been crushing on for months. "I finally got to know her name for sure this time…"

"Is it Piper?" Luce guessed seemingly randomly.

Emily shook her head.

"Ah, it's Prue!" Now the pattern was actually decipherable.

Emily shook her head again, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"It's Phoebe then!"

"Stop sprouting out names out of the Charmed series!" Emily shrieked incredulously, looking down on her best friend.

Luce huffed in mock surrender. "Fineee... You can't really blame me for trying though. The only hint I have is that her name starts with P…"

"Well it does…"

"What is it then?" Luce asked as she took a bite of her salmon.

"It's Paige…" And Emily was lucky that she got great reflexes as she evaded the kitchen rug that was thrown at her. "Hey, what's with the violence?" She protested petulantly, glaring at the red head.

"Paige is the 4th sister of the Halliwell's line, you idiot!" Luce reprimanded with a matching glare.

"Ah…riiiiight. I always forget about the 4th one. My heart's loyalty lies with Prue forever and always." Emily professed, clutching the area around her left chest dramatically.

Luce shook her head in disbelief, chuckling gleefully. "Okay, weirdo. So her name is Paige…"

"Her name is Paige…" Emily reiterated with a dazed look on her face and dopey smile ghosting her lips. "Paige McCullers." She whispered reverently. "She's just so…enchanting, Luce."

"You haven't actually talked to her and you're already whipped…" Luce smirked sarcastically, munching on her beans.

"Hey… We talked!" Emily screeched, slightly offended. "There were definitely words exchanged, mumbled words but words nonetheless and she kinda looked at me, though our eyes did not meet. But she gazed at my name tag so I'm sure she knows my name by now and… "

"Are you sure she didn't just gawk at your ample _bosom_ instead of your name tag?" Luce chirped carelessly, lifting her eyebrows challengingly. Emily just viciously glowered at her. "What? You do have great bosoms, Ems… It should make you feel good." Luce concluded innocently.

Emily's eyes rolled upward, her mind getting deep in fleeting contemplation. "I guess it'd be a good sign if she did look at these…" She tipped her head down, taking an eyeful of her busty chest.

"Indeed! Because it means she's interested and she has great taste. So she _did _look at your…"

"Let's not say the word _bosom _ever again. From now on that word is banned from this household!" Emily exclaimed with a faux stern tone in her voice, narrowing her eyes threateningly.

"Okay, _mom_…" Luce raised her hands in mock surrender, rolling her eyes.

"Now, I'm gonna need to formulate a plan to actually, _really_, talk to her. Thoughts?" Emily asked, finally taking a bite of her food.

"Hey, hot stuff, how is it going?" Luce quipped nonchalantly, grinning mischievously.

"Luceeeee…" Emily whined childishly, pouting. "Please, be serious about this. I really need to make a good impression, really wow her or something…"

"Since when did the great Emily Fields need help with the ladies? You're practically a womanizer!" Luce exclaimed jokingly, gulping down her grape juice.

"I've only been in 2 relationships my whole life. Two!" Emily protested, lifting up two fingers to further her point.

"And several one night stands…"

"Fine. Two relationships and three one night stands." Emily huffed dejectedly. "That hardly makes me a womanizer. And this is different because most of the times, girls approach me and I just need to respond…"

"You're so modest, I wonder why Paige hasn't snatched you up already." Luce said sarcastically, shaking her head. "Just start with the basic Em. You've watched her for months…"

"You make it sound like I'm a stalker or something." Emily interjected in offense.

"Well, haven't you been watching and observing every little thing she does whenever she comes to the shop?" Luce countered, arching her eyebrows challengingly.

"Fair point." Emily relented heavily. "Continue, please…"

"So, what's the first thing you notice about her every time she comes in?" Luce inquired keenly, putting down her utensils onto the plate.

"That's a loaded question." Emily sighed, darting her gaze around the space. She could write up a list of 100 things she had noticed about the charismatic girl. A quarter of that list would probably be filled with the more obvious facts, like her physical attributes. Those auburn tresses that reached her mid-back, those wide brown eyes, that cute button nose, how she smiled lopsidedly, that perfect prominent jawline, the faint almost unnoticeable freckles across her nose, those pearly white teeth, those toned arms and… Emily could write a novel, she was sure of that.

But of course, there were those things…those quirky traits that Emily found so refreshing. The girl's on the dot punctuality, her unfailing tendency to count until 22, how focused she looked whenever a book was opened in front of her, the faraway look she would have at times, as if she was losing herself in her thoughts, her consistency of the food and drink she order, the way she scruff her right shoe whenever her left graze accidentally against the floor, the little tin box filled with small change…seriously, Emily could go on forever.

"Em!" Luce flicked her fingers right in front of the tanned girl's face, breaking her reverie. "Jeez, you're being ridiculous you know?"

Instead of a snarky remark, Emily offered another dopey grin. "I know…" She sighed reverently. "This is why I need your help, Lucille Stromberg. Help me out with a foolproof plan. And in return I'd help you out with anything. Literally anything!"

"Even running lines with me in accents?"

"Absolutely!"

"Getting my morning coffee for the whole week?"

"You're on!"

"Doing my laundry for a month?"

"Fine…" Emily huffed, starting to feel burdened. But everything goes in love, right? She wouldn't back down that easily.

"What about making a sex tape with me once I'm semi-famous so I'd get even more famous from all the scandal?"

Emily just threw back the kitchen rug at her crazy best friend.

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><p>Emily looked up repeatedly, her mind coming up with many different scenarios on how things would go down. From her peripheral vision she could easily see Paige settling down on her usual table. She had always been one of the earliest costumers there so she rarely found it occupied by other patrons. Sometimes Emily got tempted to put a reserved sign on the table just to make sure that Paige would get her table every time. But then she remembered that she was working in a coffee shop, not some 5 stars restaurant where people usually have to make reservations. She still considered it nonetheless.<p>

She had come up with another plan and yes, surprisingly Luce had approved of it. And it was a decent plan, Emily believed. It would show Paige that she was worth paying attention to, that _she _had paid attention to the things that mattered to the girl. And what was that thing? Books. Literature. Emily would show her that she could be a compatible partner on that department. Emily read…sometimes. Sure she wasn't a very avid reader, but she wasn't entirely ignorant. She had read all the great books that defined a generation and changed the world. In other words, yes, she had read Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

God, she had never felt so inadequate her whole life. She had tried to keep up with the girl, memorizing the title of the books she had seen Paige reading. She really didn't understand how Paige managed to read a different one every time; there were several exceptions when Paige would read the same book in consecutive days but that happened only with the big thick books. Books that Emily was sure had more than 500 pages…she just got a headache from the idea of having to read a 500 pages worth of book just to come across as intelligent. She wouldn't try to fake it; her mom had taught her long ago to just be herself, no matter what. She just hoped that who she really was could enchant the other girl the way she had enchanted Emily.

Okay, she really should stop doubting herself. She hadn't really attempted on approaching the girl since the day she gave Paige a secret message on her cup's collar. It was 3 days ago and she was still going nowhere. The plan…yeah, so the plan was to comment on the book Paige was reading the way she had used to doing every now and then, but this time it wouldn't be just in passing, this time it wouldn't just be about how great that book was in general or how she hated some parts of it. This time she would quote her favorite line and hope that Paige would react to it. This would work; Emily had no doubt about it.

Today was the day. Today would determine the rest of her story with the charismatic girl she had been thinking and daydreaming about. Today was the day to finally get a move on her life and take destiny into her own hand. Today was… Emily realized that she was just about to lift her fist up the air in a very fiery manner. Damn Luce and her theatrical training, it had affected even her own subconscious and the way she would do the soliloquy in her head. She really needed to stop helping her best friend on acting out a scene.

Today was the day because she finally recognized the book Paige was reading. She had read it back in junior high. She found it on her mom's bookshelf and got curious by it. She found that not a lot of people she knew had read the book. It wasn't really a classic teachers would put in their syllabus or list of reading materials. But she remembered loving it, she remembered the one quote that had boggled her mind when she was younger. She was sure that Paige would be intrigued by that same notion too.

So, armed with a cleaning cloth and spray bottle, she sauntered toward the table adjacent to the one Paige was occupying, intending on doing her job in a nonchalant manner so Paige wouldn't catch on the fact that she was only trying to get close to her. Emily Fields was smooth. Or so she thought. Once she got to the table, she carried on wiping down the wooden surface and got rid of the empty cups and plates onto the bus tray. She peered subtly toward Paige and she could have sworn that she caught Paige's eyes on her. She smiled; wishing that maybe the whole watching from a distance thing was no longer one sided. If only she knew…

She stood with her back to Paige, closing her eyes. She took a very deep calming breath, giving herself a pep talk internally. _You can do this, Fields. This is the day you've been waiting for your whole life_. She opened her eyes and nodded her head determinedly. She got this. She flipped her body around, carrying the bus tray carelessly. She was about to pass Paige's table when she heard that lovely timid voice breaking through her daze. She almost didn't believe her ears.

"Hi…"

Emily stopped in her track, turning her head around. She found that Paige really _did _greet her. Those brown eyes were gazing at the ground, those lean fingers fiddling with the pages of her book and Paige's left leg was bouncing up and down, confirming her nervousness. Emily waited for the girl to look at her again and when Paige's eyes flitted up for a second, truly acknowledging Emily standing there, the tanned girl offered her biggest smile. "Hey…" She uttered sweetly, tucking strand of hair behind her ear. Her left arm stretched out with the bus tray held against her hip.

"I…um…" Paige mumbled awkwardly, eyes darting around frantically. She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a second. "Um…Thank you for…" She cleared her throat, focusing her gaze at Emily. "For that message you gave me on Tuesday. It was…nice." The auburn haired girl cringed, regretting her simple words. It was more than just _nice_ but it was just hard for her to say the right words especially since Emily was staring at her so attentively.

"You're welcome, Paige…" Emily grinned wider, if that was even possible. She would need to massage her cheeks afterward. "I know that we already know each other's name but…" She extended her right arm, offering an introduction with a proper handshake. Anything for a chance to touch Paige…okay, her mind was straying elsewhere. _Focus, Emily. Don't screw this up. _"Hi, I'm Emily Fields, it's really nice to finally meet you…" She uttered sweetly, smiling charmingly.

"I'm Paige…" She reciprocated bashfully, taking Emily's hand in hers. "Paige McCullers…" She concluded, subtly gulping. She found Emily's hand to be incredibly soft and warm and she just wanted to keep it in hers. At the very least, for the next 22 seconds… She started to count it in her head but then she realized that that would be another whole lot of strange. She looked up, greeted by Emily's soft gaze and felt her face burning up. "I'm sorry, I…"

Emily could easily feel the girl's hesitation and when Paige started to distractedly pull her hand back, Emily kept the firm grip on the girl's hand. Not too much to startle her, tender enough to show the girl that she meant no harm, that she understood. "12, 13, 14…" Emily murmured thoughtfully, stroking the back of Paige's hand fondly. She didn't even realize she was doing just that.

Paige looked taken aback, something that had come to be a habit whenever she interacted with Emily. She never let herself to expect too much, but if she were to expect things, Emily had exceeded every expectation Paige could come up with. Paige wondered if the tanned girl was real or just another figment of her imagination. She had a wild imagination after all. She then acknowledged the calming strokes on the back of her hand and indeed, it soothed her. It assured her that things could still be in her control. "19, 20, 21…" She mumbled along, eyes fixed at their joined hands.

"22…" Emily finished, the same genuine smile still painting her face. She slowly retracted her hand, her gaze transfixed at the peculiar girl she really wanted to know better.

Paige pulled her hand away and continued to shove both of her hand in her jacket pocket. "How did you…" She tried to look Emily in the eye but she couldn't. She cleared her throat again, shifting awkwardly in her stool.

"I just think it's interesting because sometimes we don't stop long enough to appreciate things. So maybe counting the seconds is not a bad thing after all, you're just appreciating the moment…" Emily disclosed casually, knowing that there must be a reason behind it but she didn't want to make Paige feel so exposed or set aside for it.

Paige was lost for words. Well, she was rather a quiet person after all but usually her mind would race with so many different thoughts and there would be these voices inside her, narrating all the things she would love to just say out loud. But now was a different case, now she was literally lost for words. Even her mind got silent as this sense of serenity enveloped her whole being. Emily…this stranger she knew of in passing, this stranger she only encounter for several minutes in the morning, she didn't feel like a stranger at all.

Noticing the change in Paige's demeanor, Emily decided to just go through with her initial plan. She didn't want to risk Paige feeling any discomfort because of her. "Say, how's the book going?"

Paige reprimanded herself internally, shaking her head out of her reverie. "I just…started it. It seems promising." She concluded, taking one of her hands out of the pocket, grazing the pages of the book.

"It's a really good book in my opinion."

"Yeah, what…why do you like it so much?"

"I…" Emily didn't get to finish her explanation as one of her coworkers called her to man the station. She gave her colleague a small nod and a wave, telling her that she was gonna be there soon. She turned her attention back to Paige, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, I need to get back to the counter. But, there's this quote that I love so much. When you get to that part, tell me what you think of it?" She asked hopefully, shifting her weight to another foot. She really hoped this would work.

"Yeah…" Paige nodded her head repeatedly, failing to come up with another intelligible response. "Sure…"

"If you're happy in a dream, does that count? Does the happiness count?" Emily breathed out fervently, bowing her head down a bit to catch Paige's eyes. "It's really nice talking to you, Paige…" She said before she flipped her body around and strolled back behind the counter.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for your visit; hope to see you again…" Emily yelled out merrily, sending off another customer. She then proceeded to organize the cups and glasses her coworker just finished washing, seeing that there were no customer to serve at the time. She was so busy placing the clean cups and glasses onto their respective spots that she missed the presence standing across her, over by the cash register. But then she heard a voice that had easily become her most favorite sound.<p>

"Um…hi…" Emily swiftly spun her body around, finding Paige standing close to the counter. She subsequently moved to stand right behind the register. She would love to just saunter over to where Paige was standing but she figured that the girl would appreciate the unthreatening space between them. "Hey you…" She reciprocated amiably, smiling widely.

"Hi again…" Paige stammered, waving a little awkwardly. "Uh, I really need to get going…"

"Oh, it's 12 already?" Emily asked rhetorically, peering over at the digital clock on the register's computer screen.

"Yeah… And I have class in 30 minutes but…Um…" Paige brushed the back of her neck fretfully, tapping her right shoe repetitively. "That quote you told me…they said that 'the truth is that only what _counts _count'. So I think it counts because whenever I have a very nice dream, I'd…" She paused and took another breath. "I'd wake up with a smile on my face and I'm just…happy. It must have counted for something…" She concluded reflectively, dipping her head down. "And then there's that theory about how…how dreams are the voice of your subconscious and then…sorry, I'm rambling."

"It's okay, Paige." Emily was quick to assure the girl. "I really enjoy listening to you. You really fascinate me and I'd love to know more if you let me…"

"Oh." Paige muttered blankly. "Cool. That's…that's great." She thought about asking Emily a question. A very specific question that could determine the path of their future but her palms were sweating, her heart was racing and the words just got caught in her throat. "So I guess I'm just gonna…" She mumbled on, eyes fixed at the ground.

"Paige?" Emily called out her name ardently.

"Yeah?" The auburn haired looked up, bracing herself to really look at Emily. And that was the very first time that she let her eyes locked with a sea of deep majestic dark orbs, the ones that had made her feel like she was floating on air. Those eyes made her feel so light and carefree, like she really didn't need to worry about anything. She wanted to just gaze at them forever.

"Would you maybe want to go out with me?"

* * *

><p><strong>P.S. Thoughts? Love it? Hate it? Something in between? Let me know what you think of it, I'd really appreciate your feedback. To those of you who have been waiting for Reminiscence and For Once to update, I can assure you that I'm working on them! But I'm just such a slow writer, I'm sorry, I think it's because of old age…<strong>


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